The Night Riders-Episode one: The Gathering
by Edelweiss Dragonborn
Summary: Hiccup forms a group of riders that consist of himself, Kassandra, and Chris, who all ride Night Furies. They all want Serenity to join, but she's unsure. They fly around the islands at night, looking to help anyone in need.


**AN: Kassandra and Raeya are two characters that first make their appearance in Love on the Run by Splendidguy44**

**The Night Riders**

Episode one: The Gathering

The full moon shone down on the Isle of Berk. The village was quiet as everyone was asleep, except for Hiccup and his Night Fury, Toothless. They were on night patrol, looking for any sneaky invaders. The air was cold, but quiet. Toothless kept his sense on alert for any wild dragons. They flew over the ocean. Toothless suddenly heard another dragon flying behind him. Growling he halted and spun around, ready to fight. Another Night Fury hovered nearby, with a rider on its back. Both Hiccup and Toothless relaxed, and flew over to Chris and his Night Fury, Windwalker. Toothless pulled alongside them.

"Evening Draconians," said Hiccup casually. "What brings you two out here?"

"Night patrol," Chris said, just as casual. "Probably same as you. Don't you usually have your riders do night patrols?"

"I've begun rotating it," Hiccup explained. "Each of my riders gets a turn. Besides Toothless was eager for a night flight." Toothless crooned in agreement. "Anyway, have you seen anything in your area?"

"No, all quiet," Chris said. "What about you guys?"

"Nope, nothing," said Hiccup.

"Well that's good," Chris said. "We should get back to it."

"Us too," said Hiccup. "Perhaps next time we can combine forces."

"That's a great idea," Chris said. "We switch off with Tenor."

"With Serenity?" Hiccup asked, surprised. Serenity hated being in any situation where fighting was possible.

"No, she stays behind," Chris said. "But she does wait up for him, and us."

"You think she could be convinced to learn to fight?" Hiccup asked. "Even if it's just to defend herself."

"I doubt it, I've tried several times," Chris said. "I don't want to force her into it."

"Maybe she'll come around, if you keep trying," said Hiccup. Chris thought a moment. Then he sighed.

"She's really stubborn," he said. "Especially when it comes to fighting." Hiccup couldn't deny that. Serenity was scared of even touching a weapon. "I should get back to her."

"Right, and we'll be getting back on patrol," said Hiccup. They split up and head in opposite directions.

Serenity sat on her chair, on Dragon Island. Tenor was asleep at her feet. They were waiting for Chris and Windwalker to get back from patrol. Serenity looked out at the dark ocean. She leaned down and stroked her dragon's neck. Tenor woke up at her touch and lifted his head.

"Are they back yet?" He asked.

"No," said Serenity. "Not yet."

"You should get some sleep," Tenor said. "They're going to be out all night. Chris promised to wake you up when he got back."

"I can't sleep," Serenity said, leaning back in her chair. Tenor took a deep breath. Suddenly his eyes caught something flying towards them. He jumped to his feet.

"Someone's coming," he said. Serenity got up as well, and stood next to him.

"Is it Chris?" She asked.

"Maybe," Tenor said. He sent out a sonar signal and was surprised when one was sent back. The dragon headed for the balcony. Tenor tensed as the dragon landed, but relaxed when he recognized them. It was Kassandra and her Night Fury Raeya. Kassandra was a greek woman about Serenity's age. Raeya was a young female Night Fury with heterochromia, one eye was sky blue, the other jade green. They had both changed.

Kassandra was a bit taller. She wore a black tunic that went to her knees, a dark leather breastplate, a dark leather skirt that had spikes all around it like Astrid sometimes wore, she had a greek sword and a steal whip attached to her belt, and a large bronze shield on her back, around her head was a wreath of olive branches.

Raeya had filled out and was almost as big as Windwalker. She wore a dark leather saddle, and a leather head plate, with a laurel wreath carved into the forehead. She also had a real laurel wreath around her neck.

"Raeya," Tenor greeted cheerfully. "Kassandra. It's been a while since we've see you guys."

"Hi Tenor, hi Serenity," said Kassandra. "Yeah, we've been pretty busy." She removed her shield from her back and propped it against her leg. It had a carving of a man's face, surrounded by a laurel wreath.

"What have you guys been up to?" Serenity asked.

"We've been living in the Greek wilderness near Athens," said Kassandra. Tenor looked at her surprised.

"Really, you went back to the place that treated you horribly?" He asked.

"It was only my brother that was treating my horribly," said Kassandra. "I love my country, it's really beautiful and has a great culture. Raeya and I have been flying at night, and helping people in trouble. We've become a real team." Raeya growled in agreement. "It's helped us make a few friends, some pretty wealthy ones too."

"Helping people does that," said Serenity. "That's one of the reasons I love being a healer."

"Yeah, we've made good friends," Kassandra continued. "They always show us gratitude with food or money. I don't really do it for the money of course, I do it because it's fun."

"That's why I help people," said Tenor. "Sure it thrilling isn't it?"

"It is," Kassandra agreed. "The people of the town are calling the female version of Alexander the Great." She chuckled.

"And Raeya's the dragon version of Bucephalas?" Serenity said, amused.

"Yes, she certainly has the audited," said Kassie. Raeya snorted and shook her head, sounding like a horse. Kassandra scratched her ears. "Anyway, some of my wealthier friends entered me into the Olympics, in disguise of course since they don't allow women."

"The Olympics!?" Serenity said, shocked. "Wow, that's huge."

"I know right," said Kassandra, excited. "They saw how well I ride my dragon, and decided I would be the perfect contestant to ride their horses in the horseback races. And I won." She gestured to the olive wreath on her head. "I was also awarded this shield." She picked up the bronze shield.

"That's amazing, I've only seen the Olympics once," said Serenity. "Long time ago. You plan to compete again?"

"Maybe," said Kassandra. "It was a real adrenaline rush. I liked it more than fighting in battle."

"Well that's good," said Serenity. "It's good you've found your place in life."

"That's my story, what's been going on here?" Kassandra asked. "You're out here kind of late."

"I'm waiting for Chris to come back from night patrol," Serenity said. She looked out at the ocean again, and saw nothing. Tenor nudged her and she stroked his neck.

"You guys still together?" Kassandra asked. "That's good. When is he back?"

"Soon," said Serenity. "If nothing goes wrong." She sat back down in her chair. Kassandra sat in the other chair. Raeya went over to Tenor and sat next to him.

"Nice saddle," Tenor said.

"Thanks," said Raeya. "I grew out of my old one. It was another gift."

"From who exactly?" Tenor asked.

"Kassandra and I were flying over a large horse farm outside Athens," said Raeya. "We spotted two people sneaking out with a horse, clearly they were stealing it. The owners came out too late to stop them, but we stopped them and brought back the horse. Turns out that horse farm bred and trained Olympic racers. That horse was their prized stallion. The owners let us stay on their farm as a thank you. They didn't really know what dragons were, so they had no reason to fear me. The owners saw us flying and decided to train Kassandra to ride their racehorse in the Olympics."

"And you didn't mind?" Tenor asked.

"No," said Raeya. "The owners had their personal saddle maker make me this saddle. They also gave her that shield when she won."

"Reminds me of when Serenity first landed on Berk," Tenor said. "She helped patch up all their wounded dragons, including Toothless, and they offered her to stay in their village."

"Well, how are you and Windwalker?" Reaya asked.

"We're okay," said Tenor. "It's been quite a while since our last argument." He chuckled. "But we've agreed that whatever arguments we have, they won't happen in front of Black Widow. It frightens her."

"Aww, no child deserves to see their parents fight," said Raeya. "My parents fought at times."

"Windwalker's parents did too," said Tenor.

"Perhaps Toothless's parents argued as well," said Raeya.

"Toothless never talks about his past," said Tenor. "He's the biggest mystery out here."

"I like the mysterious type," Raeya said. She laughed, then yawned. "Wow, long flight." Tenor stretched his wings.

"Seems you and Kassandra have the stamina to fly long distances," he said.

"Yes, it only took us two days of nonstop flying to get here," said Raeya. "Kassandra never complained."

They talked for the rest of the night. Kasandra and Serenity talked about all the long flights they'd been on. Serenity was pleased to talk to another rider who loved to travel on dragonback as much as she did. Chris and Windwalker came back an hour later. They landed on the balcony, and Chris dismounted. Serenity hugged him, and he hugged her back. They were surprised to see Kassandra and Raeya.

"Wow, you guys look great," Chris said.

"Thanks," said Kassandra. "It's good to be back with other dragon riders. And Raeya's glad to be with her own kind."

"You need somewhere to stay tonight?" Chris asked. "Edelweiss is down in the throne room, having a sleep over with her friends, you can stay in her room for now." Kassandra was speechless, but accepted. They all headed inside. Kassandra and Raeya headed down the Whispering Death tunnel to Edelweiss's room. Chris and Serenity got ready for bed.

"How was your patrol?" Serenity asked.

"It was fine," Chris said, removing his coat. "We met up with Hiccup and Toothless, patrolling their side." Serenity sat on the bed and removed her boots. "We might join forces next time."

"That sounds like a great idea," Serenity agreed, then she yawned as she got to her feet.

"You know you don't have to wait up for me," Chris said, sounding concerned. "You should get a good night's sleep."

"I wait for you because I love you," Serenity said simply. "I'd wait forever if I had to." Chris smiled and pulled her into his arms.

"I love you too," he said. "Your patience and loyalty is greatly appreciated. But I'd still love you if you went to bed before me." Serenity leaned into his embrace. "I promise to wake you up every time I get back from a night patrol, it'll be like I never went anywhere." He kissed her forehead. They separated after a moment, and finished getting ready for bed.

They slept in the next morning. Chris woke up first. He looked down at Serenity, who was still asleep in his arms, covered by nothing but the blanket. He kissed her neck, and she stirred.

"Morning," she said lazily. She stretched out and yawned.

"Hi," Chris said back. Serenity rolled onto her back so she could face him. "You sleep okay?"

"Yes, did you?" Serenity asked. Chris nodded and was about to say something when they heard a dragon land outside.

"That sounds like Hiccup," Chris said. "I better go see what he wants." He got out of bed and put his shirt on. Serenity sat up, keeping herself covered with the blanket. Chris went outside where Hiccup and Toothless had just landed.

"Hey, I don't mean to bother you guys, but I've come up with and idea last night," Hiccup said. "I was thinking since we both ride Night Furies, we could form our own group. We could fly around the area at night and keep out eye out for trouble." Chris thought a moment.

"Hmm, that sounds fun," he said. "Would we go out every night?"

"Well, maybe not every night," said Hiccup. "But perhaps every other night."

"Kassandra and Raeya can probably join us too," Chris suggested. "They showed up last night."

"Oh really?" Hiccup said, interested. Toothless perked his ears up, also interested.

"Yeah, we can ask them when they come out," said Chris. "Where should we meet up when we do gather?"

"I haven't decided yet," said Hiccup. "But I will tell you before tomorrow night. I need to head back. We'll see you later." He got back on Toothless and they headed back towards Berk. Chris went back inside.

Kasandra and Raeya woke up to grey skies. The wind howled through the island peaks. Kassandra wasn't quite used to the chilly climate. She got out of bed and put her boots on. Raeya got to her feet and stretched her wings. She didn't seem bothered by the cold.

"Wow, I have no idea how people live up here," Kassandra said, hugging herself. Raeya shrugged. "Well we should find something to eat." She got off the bed and saddled her dragon, strapped her bronze shield to her back, and mounted up. They walked outside and took off. They landed on the beach near the big white doors. There were a few dragons flying over the ocean, diving for fish. Among them were Re, Aurora, and their two dragonets. They spotted Raeya and Kassandra and landed next to them.

"Good morning," said Re. "Chris told us you were here. Did you sleep okay?"

"Just fine thank you," said Kassandra. "But it was much warmer inside then out here."

"Volcanos tend to be very warm," said Re. "You'll get used to the climate." Kassandra noticed the small red dragonet sniffing her boots.

"Hey, what are you doing dragonet?" She asked. The young dragon looked up at her.

"I'm so sorry," he said. "Human boots carry the scents of places they've been. I was only curious." He stepped back. Kassandra noticed the insignia on the dragon's head plate.

"What's your name again?" She asked him. "I forgot."

"I'm Apollo," the dragon said.

"Same name as the sun god," said Kassandra.

"Yes," said Apollo. "He's also the god of music. And I like music. Your kind worship the God Apollo huh?"

"Yes," said Kassandra. She removed the shield from her back and propped it against her leg. "I have him on my shield." Apollo was stunned and got a better look at the shield.

"Wow, so that's what he looks like," he said.

"Well, none of us really know what he looks like," said Kassandra. "I like your crest."

"Thank you," said Apollo. "I'm very fond of it." He shook himself and shuffled his wings. Kassandra turned back to the adult dragons.

"What's there to eat around here?" She asked.

"Fish," said Aurora. "Lots of fish." Raeya licked her lips at the word.

"Fish will do," said Kassandra.

"Chris and Serenity are in the throne room," said Re. "You can wait with them."

"Thank you," said Kassandra. "Is there eel by chance? I know it's toxic to you dragons, but I kind of like it." Re winced.

"We'll see what we can do," he said. "You want to come with us Raeya?" The Night Fury smiled and nodded. She turned to her rider.

"Have fun girl," Kassandra said, patting the dragon's neck. The dragons took off and headed back out to sea. Kassandra picked up her shield and went into the throne room. While they waited for the dragons Chris told Kassandra about Hiccup's plan to create a night riding group.

"We wonder if you were interested in joining," Chris said.

"It sounds cool," Kassandra said. "A small band of night riders, I'd be glad to come with you tomorrow night."

"Great," Chris said, beaming.

The dragons soon came back with a lot of fish. Re relit the fire and they put the fish on to cook. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching dragons breath fire," said Kassandra.

"We don't get tired of it either," said Aurora. "We couldn't find eels I'm afraid."

"That's okay, I wouldn't want you good dragons getting sick," said Kassandra. The dragons sat around the fire, Raeya sat beside Kassandra. Tenor, Windwalker, and Black Widow soon joined them.

While they ate the fish, Apollo asked Kassandra a ton of questions about his name sake. She was more than happy to answer his questions and tell him stories about the sun god. Apollo listened to her every word.

After breakfast Edelweiss and the dragonets went out to play at the tide pools. Kassandra and Raeya headed out to tour the island. Chris and Serenity went flying over the ocean. They day went by slowly. The dragons of Dragon Island mingled with the dragons of Berk.

When dusk fell, and the young ones came in from the tide pools, Chris and Serenity landed on the balcony and dismounted. Chris looked over at Serenity who was removing Tenor's saddle.

"You going to come to this gathering tomorrow night?" Chris asked her. Serenity didn't answer right away.

"I don't know," she said softly. She took the saddle down and placed it on the saddle stand near the window. "I'm so different from the rest of your guys. Except for riding a dragon, I don't do the things you guys do." She took Tenor's reins off.

"You know learning to defend yourself, and others, is not a bad thing," Chris said. Serenity sighed and looked down at the reins in her hand, not seeing them.

"You've told be several times that my lack of fighting skills wasn't a problem," she said as she put the reins with the saddle. She went inside ending that conversation. Chris put his saddle away, and the two black dragons headed for their cave. Chris looked up at the stars that had just appeared. Draco's constellation was just visible behind a cloud. Draco looked back at him, shining encouragingly. Chris took a deep breath and went inside. Serenity was getting ready for bed. Her face was troubled, so Chris decided to not bring up the subject again tonight. But he wouldn't give up.

The next evening Hiccup sent a Terror Mail to Chris and Kassandra. It told them to meet him and Toothless on the cliff over the old training arena on Berk, at sundown. So after the young ones had been put to bed, Chris and Kassandra saddled their dragons and headed out.

They flew to Berk and managed to find Hiccup and Toothless waiting for them on the cliff. When the landed Toothless pinned his ears back bashfully at the sight of Raeya. She smiled and fluttered her eyes at him.

"Thanks for coming," said Hiccup, patting his dragon's neck. "I'm glad you decided to pay us a visit Kassandra, Raeya."

"I like being back here," said Kassandra. "Even though it's very cold." Then she looked behind her. "Is Serenity not coming?"

"No," Chris said sadly. "She thinks she's too different for our group, because she doesn't fight."

"Well, I don't think we'll be doing any fighting for a while," said Hiccup. "My plan is to fly around and see if there's anyone around that needs our help."

"I'll ask her again tomorrow," said Chris. "I'm sure Tenor would love to join too." Windwalker crooned in agreement.

"So, what are we doing tonight?" Kassandra asked.

"Tonight I just want to do some test runs so we know how to contact the others when we find someone in need," said Hiccup. "Tenor and Toothless taught themselves how to communicate using sonar, since a plasma blast won't always be seen." Windwalker let out a few roars and croons.

"She says Tenor also taught that to her and Black Widow also," Chris translated.

"Great, we'll do mostly training the next few night," Hiccup said. He clicked the stirrup and Toothless took off, the other two followed.

They flew high above the island. Hiccup instructed them to split up and fly anywhere they wanted, then fly back to him when they heard Toothless's signal. With these instructions they all split up, and head out over the ocean. They made sure they were well out of sight of each other. The night was very quiet, and windy. But they were still able to hear Toothless's signal. The dragons heard it better than their riders, and instantly turned around and headed back to Hiccup.

They did many rounds of this. Each rider took terns sending the signal. They found out that the sound carried for miles, so the three could fly as far away as they wanted and the dragons could still hear it. Everyone was pleased the practice runs. When they were satisfied with practicing at long distances, they moved to finding their ways through caves, sea stacks, and trees. They finished the exercises with Hiccup dropping three flags in random spots around the island, not seeing where they landed. The three Night Riders split up and went to look for the flags, relying only on their dragons' sonar. It took some searching, but soon the flags were found. They met back up on the cliff over the arena.

"That was fun," said Kassandra. She patted Raeya's side. Hiccup turned to Chris.

"See if you can get Serenity to come next time," he said. "Fighting isn't really a requirement."

"I will," Chris said. "She's probably waiting up for me again."

"We'll meet again in a few nights," said Hiccup. They took off and headed to their separate homes.

Sure enough Serenity was sitting in her chair, with Tenor beside her. Kassandra and Raeya headed for the cave they'd found to stay in. Chris landed Windwalker on the balcony, and he dismounted.

"How was it?" Serenity asked calmly.

"It was quite fun," Chris said. "We'll be training for a few nights." He looked at her. "We'd really like you to be in the group. Fighting skills aren't required, just riding skills." Serenity got to her feet with a sigh.

"What does Hiccup plan to do with this Night Riding group?" She asked.

"Fly around and look for individuals to help," said Chris. "We'll probably need a healer." Serenity wrapped her arms around herself. She took a deep breath.

"Let me sleep on it," she said. "Because things may be quiet now, but they don't always stay that way. And I'll only slow you guys down if you have to off and fight a real threat. I would never be able to live with myself if someone got hurt or killed because of me." She wiped the tears forming in her eyes.

"I guess I see your point," Chris said. "You don't have to decide anything right now, we'll be meeting again in a few days." He took her hand in his.

"I'll always come help if one of you is injured of course," Serenity promised. She smiled. They unsaddled their dragons and went inside. Serenity though about the Night Riders. She did want to join them, but was unsure if she'd be any real use to them. Her mind went back and forth so much that she couldn't fall asleep. She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling and thought it over.

Serenity didn't fall asleep until the crack of dawn. She woke up some time later. She got out of bed and got dressed. Chris and the others were gone already. She headed down to the throne room and found the adults there around the fire pit.

"Hey, you finally showed up," Tenor said, amused.

"Sorry, I had a lot on my mind," said Serenity as she sat in her chair. "Did I miss anything?"

"Apollo wants to go on a solo hunting trip," said Re.

"You going to let him?" Serenity asked.

"I think so," said Aurora. "I keep having to remind myself that they're not babies anymore." She sighed and leaned into Re's side.

"He'll be fine," Re assured her. "We've all gone on solo hunting trips at his age." Aurora let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, releasing blue smoke rings from her nostrils. Serenity leaned back in her chair.

The next several days Serenity thought more about the Night Riders. Chris and Windwalker went to meet them every time Hiccup called a gathering. They would train the whole night, and Serenity would wait up for Chris to come back. She knew they were waiting for her answer. Tenor was also waiting for her to make a decision. But she was still conflicted.

One afternoon, Hiccup sent a Terror Mail to Chris and Kassandra, saying they would meet on Dragon Island and start looking for problems to fix. The two riders were excited, and readied their dragons. Serenity sat on Tenor's back, she hoped a ride would help clear her head. After a while she pulled him to a stop over the volcano's crater.

"I don't think I can do it Tenor," she said sadly. "If I joined that group I'd put them in serious risk if they went up against a big threat. They would have to take up their valuable time worrying about me. You can join though, you know how to fight."

"I don't want to join without you," Tenor said.

"You like flying in battle though, especially with Windwalker," said Serenity. "I don't want to hold you back either." Tenor landed on the rim of the crater.

"I'm more worried about you," he said. "You sure you won't join?" Serenity nodded.

"You think Chris will be angry?" She asked.

"No, he might be disappointed though," said Tenor. "He likes having you by his side you know."

"Yes I know," Serenity said. Tenor took off and headed down to the beach.

They spotted the Night Riders on the beach, near the throne room. Tenor landed on the rocks next to them. Serenity gripped the reins.

"You two coming with us?" Hiccup asked.

"No," said Serenity. "You'd be much more successful without me. I will be on hand if some gets hurt, but that's all."

"You sure?" Kassandra asked.

"I'm sure," Serenity said. "You guys have a nice time." She turned Tenor around and flew away. The Night Riders watched her go.

"That's a shame," said Hiccup.

"Yeah, maybe she'll change her mind," Chris said, sounding hopeful. "She just needs time." He patted Windwalker's neck.

"At least she'll come help us when we need it," Kassandra said.

"Lets get going," said Hiccup. They took off and headed over the ocean, splitting up a few minuets later.

Serenity and Tenor landed on their balcony. Serenity dismounted and sat in her chair. Tenor laid beside her.

"You know if you joined the Night Riders you and Chris can spend more time together," he said.

"That's true," Serenity agreed. "But who'd be here if Edelweiss caught a fever or something. The Night Riders might need me, but she needs me too. I can't be in two places at once." She gave an exhausted sigh. Tenor nuzzled her shoulder. "You think she and Black Widow would want to join that group?"

"Probably," Tenor said. "They might be considered too young though." He laid his head in Serenity's lap, and she stroked his snout.

"You really don't have to stay behind with me," she said.

"Hey, you're not the only one with a kid to worry about," Tenor said. "Besides, those guys will probably get into trouble sooner or later and we will get to bail them out." He chuckled.

"You love being the hero don't you?" Serenity said, patting his neck.

"I do," Tenor said. He yawned and spread his wings out.

They waited for any distress calls from the Night Riders. But thankfully none came. When the night was waning Chris and Windwalker landed on the balcony. Serenity got up as Chris unsaddled his dragon.

"Are you mad at me?" Serenity asked, timidly. "I don't mean to make you upset." Chris looked at her.

"No I'm not mad," he assured her. "A bit disappointed, but not mad." Serenity hugged him. He hugged her back. "Let get to bed." He let go of her and they headed inside. Their dragons headed out to sea. Serenity sat on the bed to remove her boots.

"How'd things go tonight?" She asked.

"Pretty slow," Chris said. "But like you said, things don't stay quiet for long." Serenity got up and went over to him. She kissed his cheek.

"Perhaps Edelweiss and Black Widow can fly with you guys," she said.

"They're too young," Chris said. "We'll let them in when they've finished their training. They may want to stay with Avalon's group. We'll wait and see."

"When do you guys meet again?" Serenity asked.

"Hiccup wants to meet every other night," Chris said. "We all have other stuff to take care of." He ran his hand down Serenity's back, and pulled her closer so he could kiss her. She wrapped her arms around him.

Early the next morning Apollo came out of the throne room. He stretched his wings and yawned. He was excited about heading out on his solo hunting trip. Aurora and Avalon came out behind him.

"You know how to find your way home?" Aurora asked.

"Grandfather will guide me," said Apollo. His mother sighed.

"Please be careful," she said. "You won't have any help if you get in trouble."

"I'll be okay Mama," Apollo assured her. He clicked his talons and made his armor appear. Aurora nuzzled him.

"I love you," she whispered. Apollo nuzzled her back.

"I love you too Mama," he said. He then nuzzled his sister, telling her the same thing. Then he turned and flew off. Aurora and Avalon went back inside.

Later in the day Chris woke up and found his wife already out of bed. She was putting her clothes on. He laid still and watched her. She looked so beautiful in the morning sunlight. When she was dress she looked at him.

"Hi," she said, blushing.

"Morning," Chris said, sitting up. "What are you up to today?"

"Edel wants to go for a ride," Serenity said, putting her hat on. "What about you?"

"My parents want to go help out on Berk," Chris said. "I plan to go with them." Serenity smiled. Chris got out of bed, and got dressed himself. They headed down to the throne room.

The other Draconians, minus Apollo, were gathered under the ledge throne. They smiled when Chris and Serenity joined them. Edelweiss ran up to her parents and hugged them.

"Can we go riding now Mama?" She asked.

"Yes we can," Serenity said. "If you're ready." Edelweiss quickly ran to Black Widow and mounted her.

"Did Apollo go off on his solo hunting trip?" Chris asked.

"Yes," said Aurora. "He plans to come back day after tomorrow." She took a deep breath. Serenity mounted Tenor and Chris mounted Windwalker. They flew out of the throne room and headed for Berk.

The village was bustling with vikings and dragons. Kassandra and Raeya were there as well. Serenity and Edelweiss steered their dragons over towards the sea stacks. The others landed in the plaza. Hiccup came out of the forge.

"Hi Draconians," he said.

"What are you up to in there?" Re asked.

"I'm thinking of making flight suits for the Night Riders," Hiccup said.

"Why?" Chris asked.

"In case you get separated from Windwalker while flying," Hiccup explained.

"I don't need a flight suit," Chris said. "I've been flying for years, and I've only fallen off once." Re lowered his head in guilt. "I appreciate the thought though." Hiccup shrugged.

"How are things going with your Night Riders?" Aurora asked.

"It's going good, we haven't had much to do so far," said Hiccup.

"Something will come up," said Aurora. "Something always does." Kassandra came up to them, with Raeya behind her.

"Where's Apollo?" Kassandra asked.

"He went off on a solo hunting trip," said Re. "He'll be back in a day or two." Avalon sat on her haunches, looking a bit lonely.

"You going to be okay Princess?" Raeya asked her.

"I think so," said Avalon. "Black Widow and Edelweiss are flying with Serenity and Uncle Tenor. They'll be back a bit later." She turned to Hiccup. "Is there anything I can help out with until my friends get back?"

"Hmmm, you can help Toothless with his Alpha duties," Hiccup said. "It'll help sharpen your leadership skills." Avalon jumped up and ran off excitedly.

Serenity and Edelweiss flew their dragons over the island. They didn't say anything as their dragons zipped over the rocks, and passed the other wild dragons. Soon the landed their dragons on a high peak that looked down on the village.

"You're getting better," Serenity said.

"Thank you," said Edelweiss. "Maybe I can ride with Daddy and the others."

"Well that's up to them," said Serenity.

"Who knows, maybe one of these nights it'll be you two that flies to their rescue," Tenor joked.

"What would they need rescuing from?" Black Widow asked. "They're the best fliers in the who world."

"I won't argue with that," said Tenor. "But even they're not perfect. I've had to rescue every one of those guys at some point." Edelweiss looked down at the tiny village, the dragons were the size of bees from that hight.

"I can see why those vikings and dragons like this place," Edel said. "Even though the weather's harsh, it's really pretty."

"Only the toughest individuals can survive this place," said Tenor, shuffling his wings. Black Widow snorted in agreement, and pranced on the spot. They watched other vikings riding their dragons. Fishlegs and Meatlug were flying near the high peak, Fishlegs writing something in his journal. They two black dragons seemed to have caught his eye, and he waved at them. They waved back. They took off again and headed back towards the village.

At the days end the Draconians thanked the Berkians and headed back to Dragon Island. The sun was setting when they landed outside the throne room. Edelweiss, Black Widow, and Avalon decided to have another sleepover since it was just the three of them. Chris and Serenity headed up to their room, and went to bed.

The next night the Night Riders were out patrolling the area. Chris and Windwalker flew around a small island several miles from Dragon Island. Windwalker glided over the shore, flapping her wings as little as possible. Chris spotted a few nightly sea birds flying out to sea. Aside from that, all was quiet. Windwalker turned and headed inland. She flew low, keeping her eyes open for any threat. Suddenly something long and slender shot out of the bushes and bit Windwalker's back leg. The Night Fury howled when she felt hot venom shoot through her veins. The attacker quickly vanished out of sight.

"Windwalker, you okay?" Chris asked, worried.

"No, something bit me," Windwalker groaned. "Something poisonous." She headed for the ground and stumbled to a halt. Chris dismounted and got a closer look at the bite. Meanwhile Windwalker sent out a distress call, she started loosing feeling in her leg. Chris took off his coat and wrapped it tightly around her leg, in attempt to stop the bleeding. Just then another dark figure slithered through a shrub, and Chris suddenly felt something hot and wet hit his shoulder. Then it was him crying in pain. Again the attacker vanished. Windwalker looked at her rider, worried.

"Looks like they just got me too," Chris groaned. Windwalker sent out another distress call.

"What's out there?" She whispered. "Snakes?"

"Maybe," Chris said, he sat down beside Windwalker.

"Helps coming," Windwalker said. "I just heard someone answer my distress call." Chris focused on his breathing.

"Don't worry about me," he panted. "I have a life line." At that moment about five Slitherwing dragons slithered into the clearing. They hiss with glee at the sight of their catch. Then out came a bigger Slitherwing came out to join them. This Slitherwing had golden yellow scales, with red and blue stripes. He looked just as gleeful as the others.

"Well done," he praised his followers. "It'sssssss not everyday a Night Fury crosssssessss into our landssss." Windwalker glared and got to her feet, ignoring the searing pain that shot through her body. She fired a strong plasma blast that hit the titan Slitherwing square in the face. The titan wing hiss angrily, and glared down with fiery green eyes. "You'll regret that tressspassser." He hissed. He lifted his head high above the ground, and flattened his neck like a cobra. He opened his mouth wide, fangs dripping with venom, ready for the kill. But then another, stronger plasma blast hit the ground and sent the Slitherwings flying back into the shrubs. Chris and Windwalker looked up weakly to see Toothless, Raeya and their riders landing near them.

"You guys okay?" Hiccup asked.

"They got us with their venom," Chris said.

"What are those things?" Kassandra asked.

"Slitherwing dragons," said Hiccup. "They're very poisonous. There is an antidote." Just then the Slitherwings came round and they were twice as angry now. The titan wing glared and flattened his neck again. Hiccup pulled out Inferno and Kassandra uncoiled her whip. The three Night Furies went into a fighting stance. Chris got up to and pulled out one of his swords with his good arm.

"Any suggestions?" Kassandra asked. The Slither wings outnumbered them.

"Whatever you do, don't touch them," Hiccup told her. "The venom coats their scales." The Slitherwings hissed, flicking their tongues through their fangs. The titan wing coiled up, and readied the first attack. His head shot forward, but something black knocked it out of the way. Next thing the Night Riders knew, Tenor was wrestling all six Slitherwings. His titan wing was activated and it helped him greatly. He killed three with his venomous teeth, and dove off two others. The titan Slitherwing suddenly found himself outnumbered. Tenor snarled, and gnashing his black teeth. The back of his throat glowed red. The titan Slitherwing shot his head towards Tenor, but the black dragon leapt over him and grabbed the Slitherwing by his tail. The Slitherwing bit Tenor's flank, but it Tenor didn't even flinch. He flew the Slitherwing up high over the island. He did a fast front flip, flinging his opponent clear across the island. He fired a scarlet plasma blast, which hit the Slitherwing at full force, knocking him out. Tenor let out a roar of victory. Then he went back to the group. He had Slitherwing venom all over his scales and swings.

"Perfect timing," said Kassandra. "How'd you know where we were?"

"I heard Windwalker's distress call too," Tenor said.

"You okay?" Chris asked hoarsely. "You're scales are covered in venom." Tenor looked casually down at himself.

"Oh yeah, I'm immune to Slitherwing venom," he said. "Blackfangs are immune to poisons." He stepped back and shook the venom off his scales. At that moment Serenity came out of the trees, with her medical bag.

"I didn't know you were immune to poisons," Chris said, coughing.

"Well, being only half Blackfang I'm not immune to all poisons," said Tenor. "I can still get paralyzed by Speed Stingers." Serenity came up to the group and knelt beside Chris and Windwalker.

"You two get hit?" She asked calmly.

"Yeah," Chris said. Serenity put her bag on the ground and opened it up. "Windwalker's got a nasty bite on her leg." Tenor came over and laid beside his mate. Serenity pulled out a syringe and a vile. She filled the syringe. She then carefully pulled the collar of Chris's shirt aside so she could see his shoulder.

"This will sting a lot, but try not to move," Serenity said. Chris inhaled deeply, and Serenity injected the antidote into his shoulder. It did sting like a snake bite. Chris groaned in pain. Serenity pulled the needle out, and he relaxed.

"Thank you, for coming," Chris said weakly.

"I told you I'd be there if you needed me," Serenity said, as she gave Windwalker the antidote. Windwalker buried her face into Tenor shoulder when she felt the needle go in.

"How are you immune to Slitherwing venom Tenor?" Kassandra asked.

"I have venom in my system that's way more powerful then that of the Slitherwings," Tenor explained. "If their venom enters my blood stream my own venom will burn it away." Serenity put her needle away, and moved to address Windwalker's wound. Hiccup looked at her.

"Have you given any more thought to joining us Serenity?" He asked. Serenity took a deep breath. "You won't have to carry a weapon. But I might have you carry a shield." Serenity paused and looked up at him.

"A shield?" She said, deep in thought. "Hmmm."

"Yeah, they're not weapons," said Hiccup. "And they'll keep you from getting shot." Serenity focused on her work for a moment, while she thought it over. She wrapped Windwalker's leg.

"What if I'm out with you guys and Edelweiss needs me," she finally said.

"Black Widow knows how to use the sonar too," said Tenor. "And she has her grandparents to help her if she needs someone. She'll be just fine." Serenity finished with Windwalker's leg.

"You think you can get back to Dragon Island?" She asked Windwalker.

"I think so," said Windwalker. "This antidote works fast." She and Serenity helped Chris get to his feet. Serenity sighed again.

"All right," she said. "I'll join you guys, and I'll carry the shield, it does sound like a better alternative to a weapon." They all beamed. Chris wrapped an arm around her.

"You don't need to worry about Edel," he said. "We'll make sure she's well taken care of before each patrol." Serenity smiled and gripped his hand.

"Lets get out of here," said Kassandra. "Before that big yellow dragon comes back." They all agreed and got on their dragons. They took off and headed back towards Berk and Dragon Island.

Apollo was flying over a different island, looking for a place to sleep for the night. His hunt had gone successfully, but now it was too dark for him to hunt any longer. He spotted a space between the dense pine trees that looked suitable. He headed down to land. A moment later there came a loud _SNAP_.


End file.
